OPERATIONS TEAM
Here at Metro Hop, we value talent, know-how, and, most of all, teamwork. We are a diverse group of entrepreneurs and experts who have created and run ongoing, profitable business concerns, from aviation, medicine, and electronics to construction and human resources. What’s more, the vast majority of our experience is in developing hardware including manufacturing and selling of tangible products.
BRUNO MOMBRINIE, FOUNDER & CEO
Bruno Mombrinie is committed to innovation in the transportation sector. His years of experience in the field of electric aviation and background in entrepreneurship have led to his current focus: developing an aircraft suited to the urban air mobility mission. Bruno holds an S.B. in mechanical engineering from MIT.
Bruno is no stranger to electric flight and aviation innovation. During his studies at MIT, he spent most of his time in the AeroAstro department. Bruno was on the team that built the Chrysalis, the second human-powered airplane in history to fly (over 300 people were able to fly it). The five-person team, with the help of occasional volunteers, built the plane in only 7 months.
As a board member of the CAFE Foundation, a non-profit that has a 35-year history of promoting energy-efficient aviation, he was the event manager for the NASA Green Flight Challenge Sponsored by Google in 2011. The $1.65 million prize is the largest in aviation history.
HOWIE MILLER, OPERATIONS ADVISOR
Howie has a proven record of legal and business success in both private and public environments, effectively forming and leading cross-functional teams that drive large-scale initiatives.
Howie served as Vice President of Legal Affairs for Jamba Juice Co. [NASDAQ: JMBA] as well as General Counsel for Premier Nutrition Company, LLC and KaiserAir, Inc. Before law, Howie spent 20+ years as an intrepid entrepreneur, founding and running a number of companies with offices in the United States and Europe.
Armed with a passion for innovation and a ken for start-ups, Howie spent several years honing his skills as a businessperson and C-suite leader before launching his own computer accessory manufacturing outfit, growing it from two people to 50, and $0 - $11M in annual revenue in under four years. As an inventor, engineer, entrepreneur, and attorney, Howie's breadth of experience and knowledge is matched only by his creativity.
KSHITIJA DESAI, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR
Kshitija is a leadership-oriented, business development professional with a strong affinity for electric mobility and the aviation industry.
She has experience scouting startups with deep tech products and services in the aerospace domain, analyzing their technology and matchmaking with corporate requirements.
Kshitija holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Cummins College of Engineering and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from RWTH Aachen University.
KLAUS OHLMANN, CHIEF TEST PILOT
Klaus is a four-time world champion and, with over 60 world records, the most successful glider pilot in history. In addition to his successful practice as a dentist, he owns his own mountain flying school, Quo Vadis, in Southern France.
He is also an electric airplane pilot, where he recently secured 10 new world records. Klaus is the record holder in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest glider flight (3,009 km), as well as for the fastest average speed during a 500 km out and return flight.
In 2014, he was the chief pilot of a scientific mission in the Himalayas. He flew his high-tech Stemme S 10 VT from Berlin to Kathmandu. Equipped with special German Aerospace DLR cameras, the plane was used to shoot spectacular highresolution 3D images of Mount Everest. After the mission was completed, Klaus undertook the first overflight of Mount Everest in gliding.
MARISHA CHILCOTT, HEALTH INDUSTRY ADVISOR
Marisha is a Board-Certified Family Physician. She founded Morpheus Medical Aesthetics in 2009 and spends most of her time performing aesthetic procedures and coaching clients toward maximally healthy lives.
Marisha also serves as the primary care doctor at three homes for developmentally delayed adults and works at Petaluma Valley Hospital in Northern California. She is a Fellow of the California Academy of Cosmetic Surgeons. She enjoys training physicians and nurses to perform cosmetic injections and speaking at conferences on emerging technologies and techniques.
Before obtaining her degree in medicine, Marisha earned a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley. After an initial career in consulting and software product development for public utilities, she went back to school and received her M.D. from the University of California, Davis School of Medicine.
SHRADDHA KALE, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT INTERN
Shraddha is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cummins College of Engineering for Women in India. She is an ardent believer of innovation and technology, with a great interest in the aviation industry. At her university, she led an Aero Design team, which secured third place in the 2019 Aero Design Challenge organized by SAE India. Shraddha is also a recipient of the “Mercedes in Mech” scholarship by Mercedes-Benz.
ALAN SOULE, ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION ADVISOR
Alan is an expert in electric cars. In 2016, he drove his 2012 Tesla Model S around the world using local power for charging.
In 2011, he designed, procured and installed the charging infrastructure for the NASA Green Flight Challenge sponsored by Google.
He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara.